Rack for storing linens



. Feb. 15, 1938. M s. HARDIN ET AL v 2,108,333

RACK FOR STORING LINENS Filed Jan. 28, 1956 fi INVENTORS. mm M Patented Feb. 15, 1938 PATET 'FFEQE RACK FOR STORING LINENS Maurine Sims Hardin and Lena D. Sims, Berkeley, Calif.

Application January 28, 1936, Serial No. 61,208

2 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for storing linen, such as table cloths, towels, and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a rack for storing linen which will dispense with the usual procedure of folding the linen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack for the purpose described which may be hung in a closet, or on the door thereof, thereby clearing the closet shelves of the linen usually stored thereon and enabling them to be used for storing other objects.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a rack which, when closed, will protect the linen from dust and dirt,

The broad aspects of our invention may be understood upon reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rack.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section showing the connection between the upper shaft sections.

Describing the invention in detail, the rack is preferably constructed of sheet metal formed to provide a bottom 2, having a downturned lip 3 along the forward edge thereof, a back wall 4 and substantially triangular end walls 5. The ends of the bottom and the back wall are secured, preferably by welding, to the lower and rear edges respectively of the end walls so as to provide an open receptacle as shown in Figure 1. The end walls are each provided with an arcuate edge 6, and a cover L shaped to conform to the edges 6 of the end walls, is provided, being pivotally mounted on the upper edge of the back wall by means of hinges 8. A pair of connected links 9, pivoted on the cover and one end wall, is provided for maintaining, when desired, the cover in its raised position and spring clips l0, formed on the edge of the cover opposite the hinged edge thereof, are adapted to snap under the lip 3 when the cover is lowered to securely hold the latter in this position. When the receptacle is closed, all edges thereof will be sealed against the entry thereinto of dust or dirt.

Each end wall 5 is provided with apertures I! which form journals for the stub ends 12 of a lower shaft I 3, and one of the stub ends of the shaft is provided, outside of the end wall 5, with a hand crank M. The shaft l3 extends entirely across the receptacle and is adapted to receive wide fabrics such as table cloths which may be Wound thereon by looping one end of the fabric about the shaft and turning the hand crank l4 until the fabric is formed into a roll [5. To secure the loose end of the fabric spring clips l6 are provided which may be snapped about the periphery of the roll.

The end walls are each provided with apertures I? which journal the stub ends iii of an upper shaft divided in the center, as is shown in Figure 2, to provide a left section it and a right section 20. A center bearing bracket H is provided, mounted on the back wall t, having an aperture therein which journals the shouldered end 22 of the left section of the upper shaft 59, which shouldered end is journaled in a bore 23 formed in their right section 20 of the upper shaft. Both shafts l9 and 28 are provided, outside of the end plates 5, with hand cranks 23 and 24 respectively. As in the case of the lower shaft, both of the upper shafts are rotatable, by their hand cranks, to wind narrower fabrics, which may be towels or napkins, thereon to form rolls 25 and 25 re spectively. To secure the loose ends of the fabrics, and prevent the rolls from unwinding, spring pressed fingers 2'! are mounted on the back wall 4 and bear against the tops of the rolls 25 and 26. Clips such as those just described may be supplied for the roll although the spring clips l5 encircling the periphery of the roll, as shown in Figure 1, have been found to be satisfactory.

When it is desired to remove the table cloth from the shaft iii, the clips iii are removed and by gripping the loose end of the fabric the cloth may be unrolled from the shaft. The towels or napkins contained in the rolls 25 or 26 may be similarly unrolled.

The receptacle may be mounted on the wall, or the rear of the door, of a closet, clips 29 having apertures 38 therein being provided to permit screwing of the receptacle to the surfaces mentioned.

As will be seen, the towels and napkins are stored in the rolls 25 and 25 in flat condition thereby eliminating the necessity of folding them during the laundering process and materially decreasing the time required for the process. The table cloths, in order to prevent providing a shaft I3 of excessive length, may be doubled thereby permitting its storage on a shaft having a length of but half of the width of the cloth.

By use of the storage rack of our invention, linens and other fabrics may be put away, thereby clearing closet shelves which before were devoted to storing the former and permitting these shelves to be used for other purposes.

We claim:

1. A rack for storing sheet-like fabrics comprising a receptacle provided with end walls and a back wall, a bracket rigidly secured to said back wall and projected transversely across'said receptacle, a shaft having one end rotatively mounted in one end of the receptacle, the other end of said shaft having a reduced portion projected through and rotatively mounted in said bracket, a second shaft having a bore in one end complemental to the projected portion of the first mentioned shaft, said second shaft having one end adjacent said bracket rotatively supported by said projected end and its other end rotatively supported by the other end of the receptacle, so that the shafts are in alinement but independently rotatable, a third shaft rotatively mounted in the ends of said receptacle, and means connected with each shaft for rotating the same.

2. A rack for storing sheet-like fabrics, the combination with a r ceptacle having a bottom wall and a back Wall connected by end Walls of approximately sector-shape, and a cover hinged to the rear Wall, of a bracket rigidly secured to said back wall and projected transversely across said receptacle, a shaft having one end rotatively mounted in one end of the receptacle, the other end of said shaft having a reduced portion projected through and rotatively mounted in said bracket, a second shaft having a bore in one end complemental to the projected portion of the first mentioned shaft, said second shaft having one end adjacent said bracket rotatively supported by said projected end and its other end rotatively supported by the other end of the receptacle, so that the shafts are in alinement but independently rotatable, a third shaft rotatively mounted in the ends of said receptacle in a lower horizontal plane than that of the first and second shafts, and in a vertical plane in advance of that of the first and second shafts, and means connected with each shaft for rotating the same.

MAURINE SIMS HARDIN. LENA D. SIMS. 

